On May 21, 2005 I walked down the aisle towards my future wife for the biggest day of my life. I left the church as a married man to the tune of a certain theme song (and it was not Star Wars, as many people thought). Exactly three years and one day later, that theme song is returning to my life for the second biggest day in my human existence: The release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
On Thursday the first trailer was released, and if you haven't watched it yet, stop reading right now and go to www.indianajones.com and watch it. You will not only be blown away by its awesomeness, but you will get a glimpse into the man who made me the person I am today. Thanks to Indiana Jones, I discovered the world of ancient history and archaeology, which led to my interest in languages and ancient Mediterranean culture. Unfortunately, I have never been able to experience my lifelong hero/role model/icon on the big screen because I was only six when the third movie hit theaters in 1989. Thus, Indy's return to the big screen at a time of my life when I can most appreciate him is not just a big deal, it's a monumental occasion. For the first time ever, I will watch Indiana Jones in an entirely new adventure on a screen bigger than a 20-inch TV. Are you catching my excitement?? At this point it really doesn't matter whether the movie's critically acclaimed or not because I will still see it at least 3 times in the theater, including the very first midnight showing on the morning of May 22. I might have to start a savings fund for all the theater viewings and merchandise that I will be purchasing over the next few months.
If you know me, you know that I get excited about movies, but no other movie has caused such excitement, and no other movie may cause such excitement again. I will be the guy who always brings a lightsaber or wears elf ears to his favorite movies when I don the fedora and strap on the whip for the return of the greatest adventure hero in movie history and the second biggest day of my life.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Some Important Rules for Your Local Coffee Shop
All of us enjoy spending time in our favorite, comfortable coffee shop. Some of us spend much more time there than we ever thought or imagined. In my time working as a barista I have developed a short list of important points of etiquette when waiting in line and ordering from your local coffee shop. These "rules" will make your barista much happier as well as everyone else in the coffee shop. So, here it goes in no particular order:
1. Never stand in front of the counter or register as if you're ready to order but are actually just wanting to talk to your friend. Save your conversation for after you order. Your barista will appreciate not having to yell at you to get your attention, and everyone piling up behind you in line won't grab you by the hair and yank you out the door.
2. Don't try to order and talk on your cell phone at the same time. You will probably end up with the wrong drink (perhaps even on purpose...) without even realizing it, and your barista will be very frustrated. Plus, openly talking on your cell phone in a very public place is just rude anyway.
3. Don't ever order "just" a latte. You are, however, allowed to order "just" a coffee. If you realized how much more time and effort goes into making a latte compared to a coffee, you would feel the same way. If you must order "just" a latte, make absolutely sure that you never order "just" a latte with a flavor shot. That requires even more time and effort from your barista. Please, just show each drink the honor and respect it deserves and understand that a lot goes on to prepare your drink while you're talking on your cell phone and chatting with your friends.
4. Avoid using Starbucks language. Thanks to Starbucks, the coffee industry has been forced into conforming to grande's and venti's. If at a loss for your local coffee shop terminology, you are always safe just saying small, medium, or large. It works every time.
5. Most importantly, be friendly. Your barista probably wakes up at the earliest hours of the morning and makes the extra effort to be friendly to you, so engage him or her in conversation. Whether it's about the dog or your snotty neighbor, people's stories are what makes being a barista so fun.
These five basic rules will transform your coffee shop experience. You will be amazed at how much happier everyone is, and especially, how much better your coffee tastes!
1. Never stand in front of the counter or register as if you're ready to order but are actually just wanting to talk to your friend. Save your conversation for after you order. Your barista will appreciate not having to yell at you to get your attention, and everyone piling up behind you in line won't grab you by the hair and yank you out the door.
2. Don't try to order and talk on your cell phone at the same time. You will probably end up with the wrong drink (perhaps even on purpose...) without even realizing it, and your barista will be very frustrated. Plus, openly talking on your cell phone in a very public place is just rude anyway.
3. Don't ever order "just" a latte. You are, however, allowed to order "just" a coffee. If you realized how much more time and effort goes into making a latte compared to a coffee, you would feel the same way. If you must order "just" a latte, make absolutely sure that you never order "just" a latte with a flavor shot. That requires even more time and effort from your barista. Please, just show each drink the honor and respect it deserves and understand that a lot goes on to prepare your drink while you're talking on your cell phone and chatting with your friends.
4. Avoid using Starbucks language. Thanks to Starbucks, the coffee industry has been forced into conforming to grande's and venti's. If at a loss for your local coffee shop terminology, you are always safe just saying small, medium, or large. It works every time.
5. Most importantly, be friendly. Your barista probably wakes up at the earliest hours of the morning and makes the extra effort to be friendly to you, so engage him or her in conversation. Whether it's about the dog or your snotty neighbor, people's stories are what makes being a barista so fun.
These five basic rules will transform your coffee shop experience. You will be amazed at how much happier everyone is, and especially, how much better your coffee tastes!
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